“Hardware disease” in backyard chickens and other birds is caused by the ingestion of metal objects present in their environment. These objects range from sharp objects that ultimately penetrate the gizzard to objects that may contain zinc or lead leading to zinc or lead toxicosis or some other heavy metal toxicosis. Two case histories are…
A variety of fresh and fixed tissues, including lung, liver, kidney, spleen, and mesenteric lymph nodes, from a 7-year-old, 300 lb. llama were submitted to the Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory (TVMDL) for histopathological examination, bacterial culture, and sensitivity testing. Routine bacterial cultures were attempted from the lymph node and lung samples on blood…
A nine-year-old female, spayed dog was presented to a veterinarian for diagnosis and treatment of a skin infection. The dog was treated with antibiotic and immunosuppressive drugs to resolve the infection. A punch biopsy sample was submitted to the Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory (TVMDL) in College Station for bacterial and fungal culture. Bacterial…
Chordomas are among the most common diagnoses in ferret biopsy samples submitted to the Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory (TVMDL). This article highlights a recent case of a ferret chordoma that was diagnosed at our laboratory. The tumor was located at the tip of the tail of a 3-year-old ferret. The tail tip was…
A term sheep fetus was submitted to the Texas A&M Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (TVMDL) for a routine necropsy. The fetus had scoliosis. The skull and maxillae were deviated to the left. There was no intact brain tissue in the cranial vault. In place of the brain there was a thin membranous sac filled with reddish…
Two alligator hatchlings were presented for necropsy to the Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory (TVMDL) from an alligator farm. The alligator farmer noticed animals in one of his pens had started developing milky looking skin lesions over the beak and the back. The lesions would progress, the animals would stop eating and then ultimately…
An adult, mixed-breed dog was presented to their veterinarian for progressive lethargy, fever, and abdominal distension. The dog had recently started treatment with prednisone and immunosuppressant medication for immune-mediated hemolytic anemia. Cytology of abdominal fluid revealed protozoal organisms. Abdominal fluid was submitted to the Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory (TVMDL) in College Station for Toxoplasma…
Anaplasmosis is a blood cell parasite of cattle with a worldwide distribution, but the disease is most common in tropical and subtropical areas. Anaplasma marginale is the most common organism involved in cattle, and it is transmitted through the bite of Dermacentor spp. ticks or tabanid flies, as well as through the use of blood-contaminated instruments. As a result,…
Bacillus anthracis is a spore-forming, facultative anaerobic, gram positive rod that is the causative agent of anthrax. Spore formation occurs when the vegetative form of the bacteria, found within the animal, is exposed to air upon the animal’s death. The spores then settle into the ground under and around the carcass. The spores are highly resistant…
Two hundred and forty straight stocker cattle were on a wheat and grass pasture with access to old barns filled with moldy hay, chemicals, fertilizers, and other substances. Six percent of the animals reportedly died within a 24-hour period. Two 7-month-old calves were necropsied on site and were noted to have melting abdominal fat, hemorrhage…